Other stories by
Daniel C. Brown

Turning around the condition of a city's streets is difficult at best. After years of neglect, Los Angeles suburb Oxnard, Calif., is beginning the long, slow climb back to smoother rides for its 180,000 residents.

One example of effective traffic management comes from a high-profile project running through the heart of Boulder, Colo. The $8.9 million Broadway Street and Bridge Reconstruction Project involved total reconstruction of a four-lane arterial that carries 30,000 vehicles per day.

Instead of using manual, mechanical testing methods, today's cars, trucks, and heavy equipment require computerized troubleshooting, which is often expensive. However, Jake Stucky of Missoula, Montana, has found some cost-saving solutions.